The 41st the drabbles
by RhiannonAmaris
Summary: AU After the Agni Kai Prince Zuko is ordered to join the 41st. OCcentric, mostly drabblish. Friends can be found in the most unlikely of places.
1. Beginnings,Ends,Poverty,Wealth,TwoOfAKin

I got the idea for this AU a while back. After the Agni Kai Prince Zuko was ordered to join the 41st, in hopes that he would meet their planned fate. I'm not very good at long fics these days, so I'm writing a series of drabblesque fics to sort of lay down the scenery. The prompts are from the **zutara100** on livejournal, but I'm not posting it there yet. I'm planning this to end up being Zutara, but Katara isn't showing up just yet because I'm going to try to keep these pretty much in chronological order. Just Soldier Zuko and lots of OC's._ 'We few, we happy few...'_ Parts one through five of one hundred.

I own the OC's and that is all. Avatar and Zuko belong to Nickalodeon.

**The 41st**

By

RhiannonAmaris

**Beginnings  
**Tien knew what a light infantry unit was supposed to look like-- the 41st wasn't it.

**Ends**  
Prince Zuko-- who believed in abstract honor and that his father was good, right and just—died when a man named Hina bleed out a foot away from him. He came to prefer what rose from the ashes.

**Poverty  
**Lara had grown up poor, but proud. Her father referred to himself as a chef, not a cook and shrugged it off when her mother had left for an easier life. Her family held there heads up high no matter what slurs were tossed in there direction. She was at least as good as anyone else (an attitude that had gotten her in many a mess, including this one). Still, she never would have thought she would meet the heir to the throne, let alone feel sorry for him.

**Wealth  
**He'd slept on silk once upon a time. He could have delicacies whenever he wished. He was taught bending by the finest instructors in the land. These days he was lucky if there was a tent to put his bedroll in. Lucky if Corporal Lara had the time and means to make the slop they were given edible. He had to instruct other benders, because except for the few veterans left he was the only one with any training. Any further he'd have to figure out for himself. Looking around at those of them that had made it this far and the new blood, he had never felt richer.

**Two Of A Kind  
**He heard growls, yips and yelling from aways off. "Get the stupid bitch off of me!" He walked over to see a pair of farmers fighting off a vixen foxdog. This land had belonged to the Fire Nation for nearly a generation.  
He leaned against a low fence. "What seems to be the problem gentlemen?"  
The one that hadn't been bitten turned to glare at him. He stopped short when he got a clear look at the young scarred soldier. The red-faced man gulped. "Need to get rid of this useless runt, but the bitch won't let us near it."  
Zuko looked into the yard and saw the small pup that was being ferociously defended by it's mother. It was old enough to be separated, or would have been had it been in better shape.  
"She bit Kon!"  
"That's what mothers do." The young soldier said quietly. "When someone hurts their babies they bite back." He hopped the fence. "Shhh..." He calmly walked over to the foxdogs. "I'm nothing to worry you." He picked up the pup, it looked back at him, the left side of it's face battered. He threw a couple coins to the farmers and walked away. "I know how you feel little one. I know how you feel."


	2. Past

I meant to post these in groups of five, but all the rest have slowly been getting bigger and bigger. I've got two more that are written that I have to type up and proof. No spoilers, AU from about two years before the series start. Needless to say nothing but the OC's belong to me.

**Past  
**

Sometimes around the fire at night, before a battle or on the march, they would begin to speak of what they had left behind. Of families, of the farm or shop or factory where they had worked. Of the village or street, slum or dirt-farm where they had grown up. Of a girl who was waiting—or one who wasn't. Of being a scribe's son, or a merchant's or a farmer's or a guard's. Of being a chef's daughter and apprentice, of being the pride and joy of a Major, growing up trailing behind his Company. As the months went by there was little they didn't know of each other. Except the now Captain Zuko. He listened, stared into the fire and even asked the occasional question. Everyone noticed, but no-one commented on it.

Then one night Major Uel, who'd been hitting the sake as usual, had given him a hard look. "And what about you, Your Highness?" He took another swig. "Must be a lot you miss about the palace and such."

What could he say to that? 'No, not really.' Because all he really missed was Mother (Spirits knew what had happened to her), Lu Ten (Agni bless him) and Uncle (who was apparently in a self imposed exile of sorts). There was a long awkward silence. At last he spoke, so softly they had to strain to hear. "There was a pond in the garden's my mother was fond of..."

After that night everyone noticed that he never spoke of his father or sister.


	3. Present

Avatar? So not mine.

**Present**

"It isn't as if we're losing the war. Hell, it's only a matter of time before it's over with us as the victors, Your Highness." Lieutenant Fhou was new, transferred from a decimated Company, along with the squad or so of enlisted men who'd survived. He was the younger son of a minor noble family. Even after having been blooded he spoke of death and glory with stars in his eyes. Though Major Uel hadn't touched a drop in months Zuko was sure it was men such as this that had drove him to drink in the first place. He referred to anyone not of the Fire Nation as 'savages'-- including Sergeant Lara, whose ice blue eyes spoke clearly of her grandmother's blood. He sniffed and spoke of how 'a woman's place' was in her father's or husband's home (while glared at Sgt. Lara and/or Lieutenant Tien).  
Zuko shrugged and took a helping of stew. He'd met this sort before, many a time. Hell, it wouldn't have taken very much being different for him to be that sort. Never less, the useless pratt annoyed the hell out of him. "Captain, Lieutenant Fhou." The fop (How the hell did he manage to keep a dress uniform clean here?) started. "You should be referring to me as Captain, not 'Your Highness'."  
Most other Companies messes were strictly segregated. Not so in the 41st. Granted officers and enlisted rarely sat together, but they ate the same food, and the non-coms tended to sit with either, or together, depending on the situation. He sat down with the Major, Tien, the recently arrived medic and a couple of other officers from the 64th. Sgt. Lara left after she spoke to the medic about what supplies they had on hand. Zuko nodded to them all and dug in. "How does it look Zee?" Tien asked using the nickname Lara had coined in those first few weeks, when rank stopped mattering in the face of dieing at any moment. She was glancing at the untidy knot of new soldiers.  
"They'll make it or they won't. No way to tell until it comes down to it." He looked down at his bowl. "Wonder who Blue-Eyes conned the meat out of."  
"Probably better of we don't look into that." The Major snorted. "The less the likes of us know of t the better they can scrounge." Uel Vim Xi was a man of middling years who had joined the service before his voice broke.  
Fhou started to say something about proper military conduct and was interrupted by the medic, Asa, a man a bit past his twentieth year. "I hate to be the one to break this to you, but the 41st is the end of the line as far as the boys in Souzin are concerned. We're all flotsam and jetsam here." The old crew stared at him. This was the first time someone other than themselves had expressed such sentiments and even they wouldn't say anything in such a public setting. "I'm sure you can all figure out why **I'm **here."  
And something inside Zuko had clicked. It was almost as if someone had kicked him in the head. One moment he'd idly been thinking about training, and whether or not he wanted to know what was in the stew, and the next had been perfect clarity. This was what the Fire Nation Military was. This was what the **Fire Nation** was. A few power hungry bastards on top; some lackeys rushing to do their bidding and pick up the scraps; a few dissidents that were killed, jailed or sent to die; some more that were too scared to speak out and masses that were too busy just trying to get by to much care. If they won, then what? It was only a matter of time until the whole world was in ashes.  
Fhou was spluttering in protest now. "How can you say such a thing? This is the unit of the Crown Prince!"  
Zuko managed to hold back his laughter. The Fire Lord and Azula were waiting for his death with bated breathe. They could keep waiting.  
When the young fool (still older than him and most of the 'old crew') he turned to Tien and the Major. "Have Sergeants Rizan and Lara gather up the old crew. Not Chin or Yung though. I'm going to want a word. You too Asa. You're right about the 41st, you know. They're waiting for me to get myself killed. I don't plan on obliging them."


	4. Future

**Avatar? _So_ not mine.  
**So, eight short fics in. This one's kind of part three, after Past and Present. I think the direction is becoming clear. Hope you like it.

**Future**

"Our nation used to stand for something. We used to be known for our nobility. Honor used to be more than a word. It was once considered unthinkable to attack the helpless, to fight without reason, to send children to war.  
That was before any of us were born. We're a century into a meaningless war started by the greed and madness of a man long dead. A usurper sits on the throne and throws our people's lives away."  
The small group of soldiers, twenty or so strong, sat in shocked silence. Major Uel stared at the boy.  
"If things continue as they are our nation will end in ashes, win or lose. I can't stand by and watch this happen." He spoke quietly and was nearly motionless, the fire illuminating his face, his scar. "You've all spoke of how you ended up here, but I haven't. When I was fourteen..." He was barely fifteen. He told them of the war council and of speaking out on the behalf of a Company of untrained soldiers. Of the Agni Kai and how his opponent was his father, not the General, as he had expected. Of how he had stood down and been scarred. Of waking up and being shipped off to the 41st-- after being told the battle plan hadn't changed an iota. "The only thing I regret is surrendering at the Fire Duel. At the time my only thought was that I couldn't fight my own father. Hell, I begged for him to forgive my disrespect. If I _**knew** _then what I know now I would have stood and fought. Maybe if I had..."He fell silent for a moment. "What I've said, and even more so what I'm about to say, would be considered treason by many. However I can't stand by and watch this happen. I don't know how I can bring the Fire Nation to what it should be. To make it a place where young men and women can build lives instead of being sent to the ends of the world to die at a madman's bidding. All I know is that I have to do something. It will not be easy and it will not happen quickly-- and I cannot do it alone. I'm going to need your help, my brothers and sisters at arms." He was at their mercy now.  
The Major unsheathed his sword, knelt and laid it at Zuko's feet. One by one the others followed suit. "So, when do we start Your Highness-ship?"


	5. First

Once again, I own nothing, The OC's are mine, everybody else is Nick's.

First

He didn't know how he had ended up here. Well, yes, he did really, but it didn't make it any less surreal.

Sergeant Rizan had noticed that when the men started in on certain subjects or on a certain subject rather, he would turn bright red and desperately look for a way out of the conversation. Considering the two female members of the regiment, who were of a similar age, didn't react so badly on the few occasions when the men didn't edit themselves (by purpose or design) the cause seemed clear to Rizan. If Lieutenant Tien, a 'gently-bred' young woman if not actually gentry, overheard the same conversation she would roll her eyes and look bored. And young Corporal Lara? She'd butt in, grinning evilly all the while, and like as not tell a joke that would put the most jaded of them to blush. Quite a feat for a slip of a thirteen year old, more so considering that the thought that her knowledge wasn't second-hand had never crossed anyone's mind. The Prince was in that nether land between boy- and manhood, but he ought to be a bit further along, all things considered. It was _embarrassing_. If he'd been some other young officer they'd just have a laugh at his expense, but he wasn't. That and it was plain to see that the lad… Er, the prince was of the opinion that no woman would see past his scar anyway. So the less than reputable Sergeant decided that he would make sure that the prince—the lad had the opportunity to take care of the situation soon.

The conversation with the Sergeant had been surreal to say the least; Rizan couldn't seem to decide if he should address Zuko as 'sir' or 'lad'. The condensed version ran along the lines of

_Much hemming and hawing. 'Sir, lad, you've never been with a woman, have you?'_

_Much blustering. '…No…'_

_More hemming and hawing. 'Lad, sir, may I suggest a brothel in the next town we're near.'_

_More blustering. 'Okay.' Try to hide in shirt._

He just knew that Rizan was laughing his ass off. It wasn't his fault. The only girls he'd ever known had been Court Ladies (mostly a great deal older than him and _married_) and his sister's friends (a Fate Worse Than Death). If he'd stayed in the Palace for another year or two those courtiers' wives would have tried to get him to notice their daughters. He probably would have had a conversation with his father (or far more likely Uncle) very similar to this one, but hopefully less awkward. Uncle (maybe father) would have most likely accompanied him to an establishment that pretended to be very different than this one, but it was really only a matter of decor and price.

Still, here he was, not quite fifteen, sitting on a green eyed whore's bed.

At least he thought her eyes were green. He'd mostly been staring at his own feet.

Ciri hazarded a glare at the Fire Nation officer. He was just sitting there, not even looking at her. She wasn't going to turn away the custom, but Spirits… Wasn't it bad enough that their little corner of the world had been over run? Now she had this arrogant, hardened enemy soldier, sitting there, all but ignoring—

She gave an angry sigh and he'd looked up and for the first time she'd actually _looked_ at him. She'd seen the scar that dominated the left side of his face and looked away, thinking him some veteran who'd killed hundred's of Earth Kingdom soldiers without a second thought. His amber eyes were damn near terrified. She nearly laughed. He was just a boy (and a rather handsome one at that in spite of the scar) and all but mortified.

She smiled and surprised herself by not having to force it. And then again by asking "How old are you?"

"Fifteen next month." He stammered out, his face becoming a shade redder. Just your bog standard virgin come to be made a man out of, just a boy. Then he shocked her by asking, "What's your name Miss?"

She sat down next to him. "It's Ciri Lieutenant Zuko." This she knew how to deal with. "That uniform can't be comfortable, can it?" And proceeded to help him out of it.

The next day at camp.

"So you figure Rizan got him drunk?" The seventeen year old archer asked the Corporal. "A bit probably, but I doubt that was the point of the excursion." The mixed-blood thirteen year old bit into a pear. In the normal course of things a Corporal shouldn't be socializing with a Lieutenant, but enlisted and four years younger or not, Lara was the only other woman in the regiment besides Tien. The 41st hardly even had the usually trail of wives and other camp followers. From time to time they ignored rank and 'hung out' as the former apprentice chef put it.

They glanced at the young man walking back into camp, blushing and grinning.

"Brothel?"

"Brothel."


	6. Last

Still not mine.

Last

Uel looked at the clay bottle. He hadn't had a drink all day. It was just past noon. He'd been promoted two weeks past. The Major had finally kicked off. They'd been working around him since what some of these children they called soldiers called 'the slaughter'. He was almost glad, maybe the old man was finally at peace. He took the cork out of the bottle.

The 41st was ran by a prince no one wanted, a thirty year old or so Sergeant who'd been busted down more than a dozen times, a sixteen year old girl who hadn't wanted to get married, a thirteen year old cook and him.

Lara, the cook, put a mug of foul smelling herbal tea in front of him and walked away, not bothering to hide her sneer. She, Rizan, Prince Zuko and Tien discussed supplies and training, ignoring his presence. They thought him a washed up old incompetent old drunk. Who could blame him for drinking though? He'd had thirty years of this war and the orders got stupider and the recruits younger. And less and less of them were volunteers. It was more than enough to drive a stronger man than he to the bottle.

He grabbed the short curved neck and raised it to his lips. He could deal with the headache, he could deal with the fact that he could die at any moment, but that he'd be sending all these so called soldiers, these poor, damned children, to their deaths, of writing that same damned letter again and again. That was harder to deal with.

_Dear (fill in blank),_

_I regret to inform you that your husband/son/daughter died honorably in battle._

_With deepest sympathies,_

_Uel Vim Xi_

There'd been another batch the night before.

The rotgut burned down his throat. He'd only just swallowed the mouthful when he felt the eyes upon him. They looked away as he looked up, but he caught the varying degrees of pity and anger in those eyes.

He thought of the letters and the boys that would never make it home. He thought of the Boy Prince and how he seemed to _understand_ it all and the restrained fury that simmered under the surface. He looked at the bottle again. To hell with it. It never worked anyway. It took more and more just to become numb. So to hell with it then. He emptied the sake onto the dirt and stood.

Fin


	7. Honor

Avatar AU. Still not mine.

This one is a drabble. 82 words. Woot.

They stood to attention in front of their respective squads, listening to a General speak to the troops before yet another battle. It wasn't long at all before muttered conversations began. Zuko kept staring at the General though, clenching his fists. Lara, a couple steps behind him, stared at him, puzzled. "What's the deal? It's just the usual 'for the honor and glory of the Fire Nation' bullshite."

"I fucking hate that word."


	8. Tears

Disclaimer-Still **_SO_** not mine.

Tien had a hard time of it at first. She had thought she would take to the Army like a turtle-duck to water, but it wasn't to be. It wasn't just that the 41st was boulder-fodder and no one pretended otherwise. It wasn't that she was exactly half of the female presence in the Battalion since she'd thought she'd be the only one. It wasn't the arranged betrothal she'd sought refuge from, she knew her story didn't hold a candle to most here.

It was the fact that she wanted to curl up and cry at the very thought of battle. She wasn't a bender, and was a long range archer to boot, so it wasn't as if she was at the front of it. Still every arrow that left her bow was another dead mother's son. Every moment that she wasn't firing meant another one of theirs was dieing. She'd known that going in. Intellectually anyway. She just hadn't understood it until Brossu.

So she blinked away the tears and got on with it. To hell with honor, glory and all the rest of it. She'd mourn strangers instead of friends. And the day she stopped crying she'd mourn the tears.


	9. Laughter

The 41st part Thirteen-Laughter

Asa had really been the one who had started it. He said he had to do _something_ to distract himself from the war. Most of the others had quickly followed suit, but it was the doctor who got the ball rolling. Nothing was safe or sacred. Clothes (especially ones that belonged to those not aware of newborn Phoenix Movement) were stolen and found strewn through the mess dyed undignified colors. Bug races were organized. Major Uel observed for the most part, usually turned a blind eye, but stepped in when things well and truly got out of hand (like when someone had the bright idea of climbing in with the rhinos to put _wigs_ on them).

Tien just sat back and watched the chaos, shaking her head and smiling in spite of herself. Zuko participated from time to time, but always in minor ways. So that was probably why Lara never suspected them when, to her mind, all hell broke loose.

Truth be told it hadn't even aimed at the young Sergeant, but at Fhou, who'd never even had a chance to react. Somehow this had ended up being a hell of a lot funnier. The girl had seen the birds directed a chase after them and was ready to toss them in the pot, as neat as you please. Except now she _needed_ to, _had_ to find the _rest_ of them.

"Do you think we should…?"

"Are you joking? At this point she'd probably kill us."

"Do you think she'll figure out that…?"

The archer and the prince stood back and watched the Sergeant tear through the camp. Asa wandered over. "Did you hear about the cockerels that somebody put in the command tent? I guess there are two more nobody can find. Somebody _labeled _them, now that is a twisted mind." The medic took a bite out of an apple.

"One, four and five." Tien mumbled guiltily just as Zuko said, his face picture of innocence, "Why does she want to find them." Then he glared at Tien.

The doctor's jaw dropped. "Children, is there something you want to tell the teacher? I think you may be trying to work ahead of your level here… Hold on, how did you know which ones they found?"

They exchanged somewhat guilty glances and struggled to keep straight faces.

"Are you two telling me that Lara is planning to hunt down and cook two nonexistent birds?"

They began to shake with laughter.


	10. Hope

Hope

Rizan leaned against a log, cutting off a piece of fruit and popping it in his mouth. He'd spent the day scurrying about the camps, talking to men in other regiments. _Well_, more _listening_ than talking really. Trying to figure out who to talk to.

The wrong word in the wrong place or to the wrong person they'd all be hung as traitors. Except for the lad, he'd be tortured and then beheaded most likely.

He'd never used to muck about with this sort of thing. Politics, sticking his head out and the like. A man had enough to do just trying to get by in this world without worried about what those in charge were doing. You had to wonder if that attitude, about say a century ago, had been what let this mess come to pass.

These days there was a sense of resignation that was almost universal. Only the very young and very insane fought for the 'honor and glory of the Fire Nation'. Everyone else was just trying to keep themselves and their comrades alive, except for those who were fueling their own greed and ambition. For the most part those were easy enough to spot and avoid. _That _was a _very_ old habit. If there was one thing Sergeant Rizan of Morning Street in Kouzan was good at it was preserving his own skin.

Still it surprised him how many people looked as if they'd join in. Shouldn't really, _he_ was here after all. It was amazing the lengths people would go to when you gave them a taste of hope.


	11. Fear

15.Fear

For the first time in his life he truly understood what fear was. Zuko had thought he'd learned it at Brossu, but he knew now he hadn't had a clue. He hadn't actually cared if he lived or died at that point. Hell, he still didn't really.

He was scared stiff now though. That they would be caught, that he would fall before he saw this through. That was what it really boiled down to, that was what he really feared. He was afraid that he would fail his people.


	12. Love

16.Love

Asa wasn't even sure when it had started. It had seemed like at one moment everything was normal and shiny and happy (well, as shiny and happy as could be in the Army) and then **BAM**. It came on as quickly as a case of the Omashu Flu. Looking back though he could see it all lining up, he could list the preliminary symptoms so to speak. He knew what had pushed him over and he could pinpoint the moment he had realized it. It was far too late to prevent it by then of course.

Oh, this was the last thing he needed.

He was in love with Tien Uden.

Well, fuck.


	13. Lust

17.Lust

Tien ducked into her tent and sat on her low cot, tucking her head to her knees. This could not be happening. Nope, no, not at all.

Because really, she didn't have time for this sort of thing. She was an officer in the Fire Nation Army. If she was a man she could get away with this, but standards were different for women. If she was a man she doubted she'd be having this particular problem; it was possible mind you, just highly unlikely.

What was wrong with her? It wasn't as if he was even that handsome. He wasn't bad looking either; he just tended to present himself as a goof. Still, there was the spark of his grey eyes, his crooked smile, the wryness of his smooth voice, those elegant hands…

'And you're trying not to think about that Tien. You are, in fact, trying to think about anything _but_ that.' Not working, Agni damn it.

Why her? Why _him_? Why couldn't she just have a stupid little crush on the Prince or something like a normal teenaged girl? Okay, that would actually be rather weird since she kind of thought of Zee as a slightly younger, much higher ranking cousin. The point was it was stupid to let herself get hung up on a goofy looking sawbones that couldn't be serious for five minutes at a time unless he was saying something that could get him hung for treason.

She was in lust with Asa Manji.

Hellfire.


	14. Lies

The 41st Part 18-Lies

_To the honorable Lord Jivan Vreni,_

_It is with great regret I write to inform you that your son, Lieutenant Fhou Vreni, died in honorable service of the Fire Nation._

_He was killed in a surprise night attack by a small group of Earth Kingdom insurgents on the fifth day of the month of the Dragon. Lieutenant Fhou acquitted himself bravely._

_With deepest sympathies for your loss, _

_Major Uel Vim Xi_

_Eighth day of the month of the Dragon, Fifth Year of the Reign of Ozia_

"You sure we shouldn't lay it on a bit thicker Major?"


	15. Truth

The 41st Part 19 Truth

Lara fell to her knees and held back a sob. _Oh Spirits._ _Hold it together girl, just hold it together._ She clutched onto the dripping short sword like a life-line.

Two figures drew close to her, The Major and That Flash Toff Bastard From The Calvary.

"It was Fhou. He won't be talking." _Oh Spirits._ She'd never killed anybody she _knew_ before. It didn't matter that she had hated his guts; she'd known the bigoted wanker. That had to be the reason she was reacting like this. She'd been close after Brossu, mind you, but it hadn't been this bad even then. Why did killing some bastard who had it coming mess her up more than killing a bunch of poor sons of bitches on the other side that were just trying their country?

"You did what you had to lass; you did what you had to." Uel hated the fact it was true, that she, a barely fourteen year old girl, had to be here at all.

Wide, tired, blue-grey eyes looked up at the pair of officers. "How the hell are we going to hide this?" Sergeant Lara NaHanu whispered.

"Simple, we don't." Captain Tano said matter of factly.

"I see. So we sacrifice the _myjn _for the good of the movement." She hissed.

The lordling rolled his eyes. "No, we make a big deal about the _Earth Kingdom_ squad that killed Fhou in the night." Tano sighed. "And we make a war hero out of the sad sack of shite." He sighed. "Simple."

A.N-_Myjn_- noun; half-breed, closer in tone to mulatto. Used almost exclusively in the Fire Nation. Myjn are very much considered second class citizens, in fact they're barely considered citizens at all.

Yes, I made up a word. Maybe I should have just used mulatto, but that's actually a rather specific one. In tone (depending on context) myjn is closer to "Negro" circa 1900s than the n-word now, but it still isn't a very nice word.

I really haven't had much of a chance to explain Lara's background in a story yet. Her father's mother is from a settlement of the Northern Water Tribe and was captured in a raid when she was a young woman and sent to what was somewhere between slavery and indentured servitude. Her father and aunt (twins) were born in the Fire Nation, but their mother claims she was pregnant when she was captured, so Lara is either half or one-fourth Water Tribe. Her eyes are light blue and her skin lighter than, say Katara's, but darker than most Fire Nation citizens.

Basically what I'm driving at is people can look at Lara and the rest of the 41st and go one of these things is not like the other. Why is Lara in the Army? Long story short, she got arrested, can fire-bend (a bit) and they can always use boulder-fodder.


	16. Clean

Captain Tano Nriz of the 28th Calvary, second eldest son of the Duke of Nriz hadn't felt clean since he was sixteen.

He'd understood, on some level, that this whole bloody mess was wrong even before that, but… Seeing was different than knowing. Especially when you were part of the problem. When you knew that at this point there wasn't anything you could do other than to play fair to those surrounding you. To wade in the filth instead of wallowing in it.

Then earlier this year, after some of he non-coms had begun to act strangely, Sergeant Katsu had approached him and started a very strange conversation. The older man had stiltingly spoke of knowing something was wrong and doing nothing was almost as bad as doing the wrong yourself, wasn't it. Tano had thought Katsu had witnessed some officers committing an atrocity and had been scared to report it, but hadn't wanted to turn a blind eye. He was right in a way.

A week later Katsu had approached him again and he'd found himself sitting across a table from a young, _blue-_eyed, female Sergeant and a scarred Captain a few years younger than him—who happened to be the Crown Prince.

"We've a dangerous question for you Tano. Can I call you Tano?"

He nodded dully. What the _hell_ was going on.

"Are you loyal to the Fire Lord or the Fire Nation?"

And once he figured out what he was really being asked he felt a lifetime of sins of negligence wash away, leaving him clean.


	17. Dirty

The 41st drabbles part 21- Dirty

It was early spring, which in this part of the Earth Kingdom meant it was raining. Pouring wasn't strong enough a word. If the local were to be believed it would keep on for another two weeks. Most of the Fire National companies in the area had barracks and the officers of those that didn't were staying in inns. The 41st were in tents. Old, somewhat leaky tents. Zuko had the only new tent in the lot, which one would think he and his things would be comparatively clean and dry. However that wasn't the case. If Lara was right he only had himself to blame… _'Let's be honest—Lara's right.'_

Strangely enough it had been quiet and calm and clean and dry for the past hour or so. _'Which probably means something is very wrong elsewhere.'_

"Hey Zee." Asa called out as he stuck his head into the tent. "We—No, to hell with it, **you **have a problem. You need to go and rescue that stupid overgrown ox you call a fox-dog."

That's why it had been so quiet, Ayd wasn't here… "What did he get into this time?" The tiny beat up pup he had rescued from irate farmers had grown. And grown. And grown. It was still skinny as a wraith, but he'd probably fill out as soon as he stopped getting bigger. He'd also gone from being afraid of everything to thinking everyone was his best friend.

"Lieutenant Tien and Sergeant Lara's tent. The good sergeant is ready to skin and stew him and Tien would be first in line with a bowl."

Zuko swore and dashed out into the rain.


	18. Letters I

Letters I

_From 2__nd__ Lt. Tien Uden, 41__st__ Infantry, Eastern Earth Kingdom_

_To Major & Mrs. Rach Uden 28__th__ Specialists, Western Earth Kingdom_

Dear Mother and Father,

I know that by now you have had word from Uncle, Grandmother & Grandfather. I can not say that I know what that word is, but I sincerely doubt that it put me in a good light. The only thing I can say in my defense is that I wanted no part of the situation I was being pushed into. Our relations will, I'm quite sure, say that they only have my best interests in mind, but I find their versions of them rather warped.

If I must choose between marrying a man more than old enough to be my grandfather and making my own way, it is no choice at all. Though the Army is less than welcoming to one such as me it is far better than the alternative.

I have been assigned to the 41st infantry. It is very unlike Father's command. I was quite surprised to find that I am not the only woman in the company. I have been assigned to bunk with a very young myjn girl from west Kouzen. I dare say it won't be long until Private NaHanu is a Sgt., she's a born one if I'm any judge at all.

Also Prince Zuko is our other Lieutenant! He seems a very polite and stoic young man.

We have received our orders recently and shall be very busy soon. I shall write again at the first opportunity.

Your less than obedient daughter,

Tien


	19. Eyes

The 41st Part 23- Eyes

Lara knew other _myjn_ with water-tribe blood that hated their eyes. She'd never even really thought on hers until she'd been "conscripted". They were in her face and she saw out of them. Her family said they were pretty, but family said things like that all the time regardless of it being true or not. Some boys in the neighborhood had said they were ugly and creepy, but they were pig-donkeys anyway and she could (and in most cases _had_) kick their arses.

As much as she'd like to, that wasn't an option these days. And _oh_ how she would _love_ to punch out Lieutenant Fhou's lights (for an example). These days that kind of thing would get her flogged at the least; hung if it was an officer. She was a Sergeant now though, meant the Privates at least had to give her a touch of respect.

Or at least that they _ought_ to.

"Thinks she's hard, the jumped up bit of nothing. Don't need some ugly blue-eyed _myjn_ devil telling _me_ how to--"

"Less talking and more peeling Private Wara. And I assure you I want your lazy ass on my detail even less than you want to be here." She walked away muttering about how Wara wouldn't even been _allowed_ to wash dishes in her grandfather's kitchen. "Oi! You put that back Toch!" She whipped around and strode towards a hapless young man who was trying to slip some moon peaches away, some being a whole basket full. "What, did you think the blue eyed bitch was blind? Hate to break it to you, but I've got 'em in the back of my head."


	20. Friends

24. Friends

Lieutenant Zuko (and wasn't that just odd) ducked into the abandoned kitchen tent and breathed a sigh of relief. He had to get away from the other officers, if only for five minutes. The Major kept looking to him to make it all stop, the older Captain was senile, the other was usually stinking drunk and Lieutenant Tien was twitchy. His valet Private Hina was alright, if a bit strange. Decent company and all.

But right now he needed to be alone. He needed to drop the mask. The tent was dark, but for a small fire. The main ones were banked it seemed. He didn't see any chairs or benches so he leaned against a flimsy looking counter and sighed. "Why me?"

His head snapped up as he heard a… Well a snort really. "Who's there?" His eyes searched the gloomy tent. After a moment he saw a small figure in a corner.

"Just me your Highnesship." Zuko gathered a small flame in his hand and it reflected against metal. The young girl who had been assigned as Lt. Tien's valet of sorts for lack of anything to do with her sat on an upturned barrel, peeling tubers. There was a sneer in her voice. "On kitchen duty, if you want to call this a kitchen. I'd beg your pardon for startling you, but, you see, I really don't give a damn." She made a few methodical movements with her hands and the tuber was peeled. She put it in a bucket and picked up another. "Agni. If they sent these to Da's kitchen he'd send them off with a blow to the ear and never work with that supplier again." Peel, bucket, pick up another. "But then I suppose they don't much care if the Boulder fodder gets sick from bad food."

He should say something, reprimand her, defend the order of things… Instead of any of that he sighed, "No, they don't."

And the young half-breed girl damn near dropped her knife. That had to be the last thing she expected to hear coming out of his mouth, at least in the tone of voice. "Since we're being all strangely honest here, you mind me asking why the likes of yourself is here?"

"I _wanted _to be alone for a few minutes." The young Prince replied, slightly annoyed.

"I didn't mean this tent, I figured _that_ much out. I was referring to the broader sense. I _meant _what is your Royal ass doing at the front. Me, I fought back when the Magistrate's son decided I was a 'pretty little thing'. Bad enough that I did, worse that I won, insult on top of injury when I said I had the impression that he thought I was a boy in front of the court. You?"

He stared at her for a moment again. He couldn't think of anything else to do. Then words formed in his mouth without bothering to check with his brain. "I protested in a war council when a General suggested sacrificing a unit of raw recruits as a distraction. I was challenged to an Agni Ki. I accepted, but when it started my opponent wasn't the General, it was my Father. I refused to fight him." His right hand began to drift towards his scar of its own accord. He self consciously brought it back down to his side. "Then I was ordered to join the 41st and not come back to the Fire Nation until sent for."

"Huh. That order will come roundabout the Fifth of Never. And I bet I can guess what that unit of newbies is called." She stood and dug around in some crates. "I wonder how many other executions the decided to draw out like that. Has to be more than the two of us Zee." The blue eyed girl unwrapped a small bundle and held it out to him. "I made some steam buns this morning if you want some."

He took one awkwardly. "Thank you Lara. I guess you've got dibs on this hiding place, huh?"

"I'm _not_ hiding, I'm _cooking_."

"In the dark."

"Could if I wanted to. I was a chef's prentice before." There was a hint of a boast and a tinge of wistfulness in her voice.

Zuko started to speak then looked down. Then, unsurely, he sat down and asked in a small voice, "What was it like?"


End file.
